Mahomet Aquifer News Conference

On Monday, October 15, Mayor Don Gerard and Mayor Laurel Prussing held a news conference to announce plans for the Cities of Champaign and Urbana, Village of Savoy, Town of Normal, and the University of Illinois to apply to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) for sole source designation for the Mahomet Aquifer. According to Layne Hydro, a water management consulting company hired by the coalition, the Aquifer meets the required criteria for the designation. This action is a way to emphasize to the USEPA that the Aquifer is a vitally important source of water for central Illinois that needs to be protected for drinking water as well as commercial, industrial and agricultural uses.

Recently the Clinton Landfill, Inc. made a request to the USEPA to allow disposal of industrial wastes containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at its landfill site located directly over the Aquifer. PCBs are toxic organic compounds that are known carcinogens. A sole source aquifer designation may impact the USEPA’s decision on this issue, as well as requests to conduct other potentially environmentally hazardous activities over the Aquifer.